India signs deal for six nuclear power units with Russia

Staff Correspondent
On sideline of the 19th India-Russia Annual Bilateral Summit, held in New Delhi, both the countries on Friday have signed a deal for cooperation in implementing of a new nuclear power project in India. The new project will have six power units with latest Generation 3+ VVER 1200 reactors.
The action plan document was signed by India’s Department of Atomic Energy Secretary Kamlesh Vyas and Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev.
“We are satisfied with our strategic cooperation with India, where the Russian designed nuclear power units are operating and being constructed at Kudankulam site. We expect to start implementation in the near future serial construction of new units at a second site in India. This will significantly increase level of equipment localization within framework of the “Make in India” policy, as well as optimize timing and cost of the project execution. Moreover, India is our trusted partner, with whom we are already implementing projects in the third countries, and we plan to enhance this cooperation,” said Alexey Likhachev in a statement after signing the agreement.
Commenting on the agreement, Jawaharlal Nehru University Emeritus Professor Ramamurti Rajaraman noted that Russia is the only country to have successfully set up nuclear power plants in India, despite the problems posed for foreign suppliers by India’s civil nuclear liability insurance law.
Under an agreement signed earlier, Russia has been implementing the nuclear power project with six power units at Kudankulam of Tamil Nadu. Two of those six units are already supplying electricity to Indian national grid. All the units are being constructed based on Russian VVER 1000 reactors while the new project will have units equipped with more advanced VVER 1200 reactors. Production capacity of these type of reactors is 20% higher.
It may be mentioned here that Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant in Bangladesh will have two units each with a VVER 1200 reactor. Atomstroyexport (ASE), engineering division of Rosatom, the State Nuclear Corporation of Russia is implementing the project. Under a trilateral agreement, Indian companies can be involved in construction and installation works, the supply of material and equipment of a non-critical category, as well as in the training of personnel.